Spirited Away: Live On Stage Review!

Spirited Away: Live On Stage adapts Hayao Miyazaki's classic anime with brilliant theatrical touches!  The film adaptation is co-written and directed by John Caird who had previously directed Les Misérables the Dream Cast in Concert (1995) tv special. In 1987, Caird won the Tony Award for Best Director of Les Misérables. His co-writer was Maoko Imai. The stage adaptation debuted at the Imperial Theatre Tokyo on February 28, 2022. This was filmed during its 2022 run. The movie is presented by GKIDS Films for this year’s Studio Ghibli Fest. It is of course based on the 2001 Studio Ghibli movie which was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The anime won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The original score is by Joe Hisaishi with music, orchestration, and arrangements by Brad Haak. Toby Olié designed and directed the puppetry. He co-founded Puppetry in Motion and worked on the production of War Horse (2007). Chichiro Ogino is played by Kanna Hashimoto who originated the part along with Mone Kamishiraishi. Hashimoto was part of the Japanese idol girl group, Rev. from DVL. Her first film was the drama, I Wish (2011).  

We see the theater audience waiting below the center stage, it has ramps stage left and stage right and two stairs down the center stage. We see Chihiro walking from the stage left ramp to center stage. A light illuminates the car, where her father, named Akio in the anime, and mother, Yūko (Miyu Sakihi) are driving with a road. Their names are never mentioned. Trees are projected on the stage wall. She has roses for her birthday, this was a goodbye gift from her friend in the anime, and then we see the `Spirited Away’ title projected above them. Her parents point out their new blue house. The title drift away like flower petals. The father is recklessly driving down the road in the anime, but stops by a bullet-shaped Jizo statue. If is correct, Jizo statues are guardians of the road and protectors of children. A tunnel, doorway, is at the stage wall and this interests Chihiro’s parents. She is too scared, stamping her feet, to enter the tunnel. 

The Jizo statues, two in the play, turn with actor faces. This spooks Chichiro to enter the tunnel and the stage is plunged into darkness. We see rotating buildings on center stage and father says that it must be an old theme park from the 90’s, the same dialogue from the anime. We see people in tan robes, spirits, that scare Chihiro from the tunnel. In the anime, it is a bright summer day to contrast with the darkness of the tunnel. The stage for the play is not lit with heavy stagelights so it has some spookiness. The building rotates and then we see a yatai, food stall, and Chihiro’s parents start eating the dishes without anyone around. What I think is happening is that Chihiro is introduced to an adult world; her parents may be representing gluttinous adults. She walks off and the restaurant spins, a bathhouse roof drops on the stage. Part of the Shintō religion, belief in nature spirits, kami, invited to bathe to purify themselves. There is a miniature train that circles around the stage. The train becomes important later on. 

A boy later called Haku (Kotaro Daigo), in white robes, goes to warn Chihiro to cross the river. Spirits, actors in dark veils, surround her. Chihiro manges to find her parents, now with giant pig heads! They are led away by spirits that swat at them. One spirit chases Chihiro around the stage. She steps down the stage left stairs into the river and the spirits dance around her. Chihiro says to them repeatedly, “Go away!”, but then she is covered with a similar shroud. Then, she sees red-robed spirits walking, the anime has a riverboat arriving to unload the bathhouse guests. Haku arrives and gives Chihiro a berry to eat and keep her in the Spirit World. Doors fill the stage and surround Chihiro and Haku. They flip over to reveal the pig pen, but her parents are fully transformed into pigs. The bathhouse workers sing, the singing and dancing are more emphasized here, “Welcome spirits/nameless gods.” Among the spirits, is the Radish Spirit, tall, bulky with the two stalks as part of his face and a red hat. Great costume! Chihiro passes No-Face (Koharu Sugawara), he has a white, Noh-like mask and black body stocking and robes. 

No-Face is a quiet spirit that Chihiro invites into the bathhouse and takes on the dangerous greed of the spirits representing adults. Haku tells her to hold her breath or she will be seen by everyone. She is about to get to the other end of the bridge when Aogaeru, a green frog puppet, greets Haku-sama. Haku tells Chihiro the way to the boiler room, ask for a job, and to beware Yubaba. She asks how he knows her name and Haku says he knew her since she was little. A mystery that is later answered. The building turns into the steps and bridge, Actress Hashimoto pantomimes trip-running down the steps, a hilarious and terrifying moment in the anime! Then, we see Kamaji (Tomorowo Taguchi), who is a spirit with six puppetered arms and sings as we see Sooties (also called Soot Sprites) that are also on strings. Kamaji, a fun part for Taguchi, refuses to give her a job. Chihiro helps pick up a piece of coal from a Sootie and brings it to the boiler. This melts the Sootie for not completing its job. A woman appears in red robes, she is later called Lin, also played by Sakihi who plays the mother. Kamaji wants her to get Chihiro a job from Yubaba. He extends one arm across the stage to offer Lin a roasted newt. Lin agrees to take Chihiro and Lin reminds her to thank Kamaji. Politeness is important in fairy and spirit worlds. 

They take an elevator which is a platform with moving lights to a floor where the workers dance. Radish Spirit is about to enter the elevator and Chihiro hides behind him as the Foreman asks about the human. She reaches the top floor and bows to Radish Man. A chair tosses Chihiro into Yubaba’s office. Three green heads appear behind a black curtain. This is Kashira with two of the heads on a man’s hands while he wears a sumo-like mawashi lioncloth. We see Yubaba (Mari Natsuki) at her desk, grey hair in bun, almost witch-like face, and blue dress. Chihiro insists, “I want to work here!” Yubaba rages at her, splitting her desk, and a giant head forms around her. She is distracted by a baby’s voice behind the curtain, then a big baby foot smacks her!, this is Boh, her child. Chihiro continues to ask for work and a pen and paper float to her. Her name appears on screen, Yobaba sends away the “hiro” part of her name and then changes the rest to Sen. Identity is also another theme of this story. There is also environmentalism that involves the Stink Spirit!, purification of environment and spirit is important, but I also see the challenges of a child growing up in an adult world like Labyrinth (1986). It is still available, April 25, 27, and May 2nd. Dong' miss it! Spirited Away: Live On Stage has incredible actors, dancing and songs, Olié's puppets, all in a production bringing the magic of Miyazki's anime to life!   

Five + Herbal Soak Tokens out of Five! 

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